Technology has become an irreplaceable tool in most activities and sport is no exception. As in almost all professional sports, technology in football changed many paradigms. Both in training, performance and solving problems derived from refereeing, technology in football is here to stay and optimize tasks.
The application of technology in football improves the performance of players
As in so many other disciplines, technology is something that is used to help improve performance. There are many smart devices that allow training data to be measured in real time. This is how steps taken, distances traveled, heart rate or calories burned, among other things, are calculated.
Likewise, the application of new technologies allows the creation of new materials. Thus, players can wear cleats that, in addition to being smart, are much lighter.
The boots of the 21st century
Gone are those heavy and uncomfortable ankle boots. Ankle boots with plugs were invented around 1880, although it was after World War II that they began to improve. It is where the big sports brands appeared, manufacturing increasingly lighter and more flexible ankle boots.
Current cleats include a microchip that allows performance on the playing field to be measured. They calculate the distances traveled, the force of the shots and even the physical effort.
They are made of synthetic materials and some models only weigh 100 grams.
Clothing that records the athlete’s parameters
In elite clubs, it is common to see players wearing training vests equipped with microchips and GPS. They allow you to know in real time the physical wear and tear, kilometers traveled, heart rate, accelerations and decelerations and your contacts with the ball. An interdisciplinary team is responsible for analyzing the data of each player, which will improve their technique and performance.
There are other devices that help the athlete know in real time if their performance is correct or not. Smart wristbands, wearables, or smartwatches, among many others, allow different parameters of the athlete to be measured during training.
Arbitrations also use technology
In some cases, the application of technology generates controversy, such as video refereeing or commonly called VAR. It is controversial since in some situations it intervenes and can even modify the results, also in others, the decision depends on different interpretations, which is why controversies are generated.
In any case, it is in the early stages of its application worldwide and there is room for improvement. In other sports, such as basketball or hockey, it has been used successfully for some years.
Another field that improved substantially with new technologies is video and television. Gone are sports broadcasts where you had to wait for a satellite signal to watch a game. Currently we can see any match that is played thousands of kilometers away in real time and with maximum clarity.
This also allows coaches and athletes to see the performance of their rivals, analyze their plays and know how to confront them with better strategies.